Evo-Stik NPL Division One South
The Scholars Ground, Church Street, Chasetown
Saturday, 15th December 2012, 3.00pm
Gresley Hang On For The Points
This was the proverbial game of two halves. First half Gresley totally dominated proceedings and were unlucky to only have been two goals to the good by half time. In the second half Gresley increased their lead early on and looked to be cruising to an easy three points.
However, The Scholars got a goal back and then with twenty minutes remaining a tackle by Michael Nottingham was harshly adjudged to have been a red card offence meaning Gresley had to fight for all they were worth for the three points which a few minutes earlier seemed a certainty.
Gresley made changes to the line-up that had been beaten by Carlton Town a week ago with young midfielder Dean Rathbone making his debut. Marc Strzyzewski replaced Jordi Gough who is on holiday, Jamie Barrett and Gareth Langford came back into midfield in place of the suspended James Jepson and the injured Mickey Lyons. Up front Phil Massingham and Rob Spencer came in for Marc Goodfellow and Richard Hanslow.
The visitors started in top gear and were soon finding their way into the Chasetown area where Nadat fired a shot straight at Scholars' keeper Ryan Price. Minutes later Nottingham powered a header from Barrett's free kick also straight at Price.
Chasetown didn't know what had hit them as wave after wave of fast attacking football threatened to breech their defences. Spencer's cross was just put behind by Nadat at the near post.
The goals came like buses. Nothing for a while and then two arrived in two minutes. A corner taken by Rathbone found the head of Nottingham but the effort was blocked however, Walker was quick to react ramming the ball home.
A minute later Strzyzewski slung over a cross from the left into the area and Langford calmly slotted the ball into the net.
Massingham was unlucky not to have increased Gresley's lead but his shot from Nadat's cross clattered the base of the near post. Seconds later Massingham had two more chances to score as the half drew to a close. First he put his header from Matt Roome's superb cross onto the roof of Price's net and then he swept Nadat's low cross the wrong side of the near post.
Gresley continued where they left off in the second half clearly on top and they extended their lead when a loose back pass was pounced on by Spencer who, after rounding Price, was unlucky to see his shot come back off the near post but Nadat following up smashed the ball into the net. Nadat then went close again but flicked his header from Spencer's cross wide of the far post.
Whether the visitors eased off the gas or whether Chasetown decided to throw everything at Gresley is anybody's guess but a long range attempt which Gary Hateley had to tip over the bar signalled a change in the game.
Danny Smith made full use of the acres of space in the Gresley right back area and ran through to slot the ball home at Hateley's near post.
The game changed on 68 minutes. Nottingham who was being pushed by a Chasetown player went in a little hard on Simon Brown who seemed to make a lot of the tackle. Referee Mr Harty at first seemed to go to his top pocket for his yellow card but then changed his mind showing the big Gresley defender a harsh red card.
Chasetown sensed this was their chance and started to put the re-arranged Gresley back line under pressure. With nine minutes remaining a cross from substitute Theo Robinson into the box found Smith who hammered the ball home from close in.
You could feel the tension from both Gresley players and supporters alike as it seemed the three points which seemed a certainty to be heading back to South Derbyshire were now under threat.
Gresley's Nadat was replaced by Goodfellow and he was soon testing Price with a shot that the keeper managed to palm away. In the sixth minute of time added on Goodfellow gave his side some breathing space. Price miss kicked the ball into the air and Goodfellow accepted the chance and fired into the far bottom corner of the net.
Almost from the restart Chasetown charged down the other end and Nick Wellecomme, who appeared to be a couple of yards off side slotted the ball past Hateley to almost complete silence.
Manager's View
Martin Rowe
"I thought we were awesome in the first half and played some really good football. We tweaked it a bit today and it's worked very well. We had wide men in Rob Spencer and Jordan Nadat who did very well. We got balls into spaces and got behind them and we created quite a lot of chances in the first half. We were disappointed only to have gone in at half time two-nil up
"Second half, we knew they were going to come at us but the sending off absolutely killed us. It's your big centre half who was going off who was winning all the headers and we were then put under a bit of pressure but the lads showed a lot of character, stuck at it and I definitely think we deserved the win.
"I thought Dean Rathbone had an excellent debut today. It was a bit of a gamble. We'd spoken to a few people about him and a lot said he had a bad attitude but if he shows that in a game I don't think we'll have any trouble at all.
"I think I've got to praise Gareth Langford today. He hasn't played for a long time but he's come in and played his socks off, looked to play and worked very, very hard. We had Jamie Barrett who had just come back from two weeks holiday, straight in to it and it was as if he'd never been away. Nicked named the plumber but it didn't quite work in the second half when we put him back in the four.
"Unfortunately, we were missing Jordi Gough, Danny Holmes, James Jepson and Mickey Lyons today and they are your four main players for us and I think its credit to the squad for the team we've put out and we gone out and won the game. Hopefully, we may have a couple back. Jordi will certainly be back and also I think Danny will as well. There is a question mark about Mickey because he had five stitches in his ankle last week.
"The lads have put a real hard shift in today and I think in the last ten minutes it showed on us as we were really tired but we got three points and are back to winning ways. I know we conceded three goals but three points was important to us today.
"Prior to the game we discussed how we wanted to play and towards the end of the game we'd get Richard Hanslow and Marc Goodfellow and Gooders will win us the game and he has done which was great.
"I know supporters get a bit upset when Marc or Richard are not playing or other players but we had a plan today and the plan worked. Sometimes it does and sometimes it doesn't but more often than not we tend to get it right. Sometimes we do get it wrong and we hold our hands up for it."
